Reinventing the wheel is no small order, particularly in regards to metal music. While streaming and social media have made music of all genres as accessible and reachable as it has ever been, it feels like most everything has already been done in the metal world. Too often, a band is labeled as “the next [insert legacy act here],” rather than be celebrated for what they are in the moment. For Spiritbox, one of the most dynamic and exciting acts in the game within the last decade, their success comes in doing many things well, defying the old adage regarding jacks (or jills, as it were) of all trades. Further, when trying to nail down what subgenre the band best fits into, the confines of genre walls fail, as their earlier work went in a breakdown-heavy metalcore direction, while releases such as their Rotoscope EP introduced nu metal tenets, to say nothing of vocalist Courtney LaPlante's dynamic vocal range.
For just their second full-length, Tsunami Sea, Spiritbox does not toss the rulebook out the window, as that would require them to have one handy at all. Rather, they bring together everything that's brought them this far, and the result is a wetland wall against the wave that is the “sophomore slump” of old. The production of guitarist Mike Stringer and returning producer Dan Braunstein, who was swapped out on The Fear of Fear for Zakk Cervini, helps to hone in a deep, layered record that begs for a front-to-back listen, if only to find more hidden features that may have gone unnoticed the last time through.
On the subject of the band's last EP, which gave us the Grammy-nominated “Cellar Door,” the feel of songs like this album's title track and of “A Haven with Two Faces” evoke memories of the megahit “Jaded,” with the latter even featuring the atmospheric guitar lines from the previous smash's bridge. The song is great on its own, but this nod to those paying closer attention and to those who have followed the band for a while is a great touch. “Tsunami Sea” is on par with the heavy with melody vibes of songs like “Jaded” and “Too Close Too Late.” This more melodic side is also apparent on songs like “Keep Sweet” and the post-punk-influenced “Ride the Wave,” even if the former feels strangely softball for Spiritbox.
The monstrous riffing of Mike Stringer comes in on songs like “Soft Spine” and the opener “Fata Morgana,” with either song hitting like a nine-pound hammer. Frankly, given the current state of global affairs, “Soft Spine” might be the rage song of 2025, with LaPlante's howls and Stringer's clothesline-delivering hooks. Therein lies the dynamic nature of the album, in that it doesn't linger on the aggression for too long, but it also won't stay in the valleys for any longer than it does in the peaks. In this age of the single over the full album, stacking of the tracklist is something of a lost art, but Spiritbox know how to handle it to keep things fresh and exciting throughout Tsunami Sea’s eleven songs.
Possibly the most surprising song on the disc is “Crystal Roses,” as it leans more into the electronic and ambient side of things. Strangely, it's almost absent of any distorted guitars until the ending, just before the track fades out. This would not be the first pick of song to show a new fan of the band, but it is something of a hidden gem regardless. It would be interesting to see an EDM act such as Illenium, with whom the band previously collaborated on the song “Shivering,” get their hands on this track and have their way with it.
For me, the only weak spot is “No Loss, No Love,” as it feels like a song of two parts, and those two parts don't fit together even if forced like two mismatched jigsaw pieces. Each heavy section feels like a breakdown, something that the band can do admittedly very well, but the talk-singing of LaPlante once the band drops out for some percussive synth-assisted beat poetry doesn't work as well as some would like to admit. Still, if this is the weakest song on the record, that's a hell of a batting average.
The hype behind Spiritbox is only growing, and Tsunami Sea is a testament that their success was not an overnight happening, nor is it something that will be short-lived. It builds upon the foundation laid thus far, and serves as a shoo-in for one of the top metal albums this year, and certainly of the first quarter.
Tsunami Sea is available now via Pale Chord Music.
